1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to chewing gum, and more particularly to a chewing gum containing molasses to impart a longer lasting flavor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional chewing gum compositions are subject to dissipation of flavor before the end of the "chewing" life normally associated with the gum. Thus, while gum compositions are usually considered "chewable" for hours, the flavor becomes imperceptible in a considerably shorter period, as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Obviously, depending upon the particular gum formulation and the flavors in use, variations will occur in the time over which the flavor endures while the gum is being chewed.
Many methods have been devised in the past to improve the flavor quality of gum compositions. Those attempts have included coating the flavors with a sugar shell prior to incorporation into chewing gum, incorporating the flavor in the form of solid flavor particles, and encapsulating volatile, water immiscible flavoring oils in an encapsulating material, i.e., gelatin, to provide the controlled release of flavor in gum products.
While these and other similar prior art methods for prolonging flavor qualities in chewing gum compositions have been relatively effective, such methods many times require special manufacturing techniques and procedures which can be expensive and are therefore unattractive. Thus, an effective method for prolonging flavor in chewing gum containing essential oil flavoring materials, which does not entail extensive revision of usual manufacturing procedures, has not yet been developed.